Proficiency‐based placement
Examining the validity of the APPT – Listening test
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 8937754 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Gregory L Thompson (0000-0003-4709-4836, Brigham Young University Provo Utah USA, corresponding author), Rob A Martinsen (0000-0002-1565-1274, Brigham Young University Provo Utah USA), Matthew P Wilcox (0000-0002-6020-529X, Brigham Young University Provo Utah USA) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Publication date | 2025-12-07 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Foreign Language Annals (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0015-718X • E-ISSN: 1944-9720 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1111/flan.70045 |
| OpenAlex | W4417102590 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 34 |
Placing students in the most appropriate course in a language learning sequence is a perennial challenge for language educators (Fairclough, 2012a) as improper placement can lead to instructional challenges for teachers and learning difficulties for students (Arai, 2025). In 2020, ACTFL released a proficiency‐based placement test called the APPT (ACTFL Proficiency Placement Test) that is relatively inexpensive and easy to administer. However, a limited amount of research has been carried out verifying its validity and reliability. The present study attempts to remedy this by examining the use of the APPT as a placement exam in a university‐level Spanish program from the Argument Use Case (Bachman, 2005) perspective as well as the Test Development perspective (Luecht, 2003). In this study, researchers explain the process by which the items in the APPT were developed, and then compare the results of the listening portion of the APPT for students placed in various levels of university Spanish against other measures of student language ability that are relevant for placing students, such as students' self‐assessment, language learning background, and teachers' estimates of skill. Results indicate a high degree of correlation between the APPT and all these measures. Additionally, with few exceptions, the items of the APPT tended to function appropriately for their intended proficiency level. Taken together, these results suggest that the APPT is a valid and reliable proficiency‐based tool for placement
Active listening · Argument (complex analysis · Differential item functioning · Language assessment · Language proficiency · Perspective (graphical · Test (biology · Test validity · Educational and Psychological Assessments · EFL/ESL Teaching and Learning · Student Assessment and Feedback
Statistical Analyses for Language Assessment
IBM SPSS Statistics 26 Step by Step
Building and Supporting a Case for Test Use
Linear regression and the normality assumption
Developing an Online Placement Exam for Spanish Heritage Speakers and L2 Students
Developing a Placement Exam for Spanish Heritage Language Learners
A Working Model for Assessing Spanish Heritage Language Learners’ Language Proficiency through a Placement Exam
An English language placement test
Item response theory
Can placement tests inform instructional decisions
Evaluating a placement test
The dimensionality of a placement test from several analytical perspectives
An argument against using standardized test scores for placement of international undergraduate students in English as a Second Language (ESL) courses
Advanced L2 learners and reading placement
Improving ESL Placement Tests Using Two Perspectives
The Practicality and Efficiency of Web‐Based Placement Testing for College‐Level Language Programs
Multistage Complexity in Language Proficiency Assessment
Empirical Validation of Reading Proficiency Guidelines
Empirical Validation of Listening Proficiency Guidelines
Establishing Reliability and Validity of an Online Placement Test in an Omani Higher Education Institution
Why bother with testing? The validity of immigrants' self-assessed language proficiency
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |